Spotlight On Marci Glenney

Glenney was Connecticut's USA Today player of the year as a senior at Norwich Free Academy in 1997 after becoming the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,653 points. She was also New England's Gatorade Player-of-the-Year, a Nike and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention and a Street & Smith All-America honorable mention for three consecutive years.

Her career at UConn lasted only two years before she transferred to Clemson shortly after the 1998-99 season.

As a freshman, she played a reserve role in 32 games, averaging 8.7 minutes, but was one of only seven players to see action in all three Big East Conference games and she played in all four NCAA Tournament games.

As a sophomore, Glenney appeared in 29 games, starting seven, including her first collegiate start vs. Syracuse on Feb. 23, 1999. She averaged 16.2 minutes, 4.3 points and 1.8 assists and had a career-high eight assists vs. St. Francis in the first round of NCAA play. She played a career-high 30 minutes vs. Rutgers on Jan. 27 and scored a career-best 14 points against Quinnipiac on Dec. 27, going 2 for 3 on three-pointers.

At Clemson

After sitting out a season after her transfer, Glenney became a cog at Clemson, the team's fourth- leading scorer (9.6), starting 24 games as a junior, appearing in 30 and averaging 27.5 minutes. She had a Clemson career-high 21 points vs. Virginia.

As a senior in 2001-02, she started 26 games, was third in scoring (9.7) and was given the team's Leadership Award at its postseason banquet.

A happy person who loves having fun.

The years seem to have been kind to Glenney, 31, molding a light-hearted, fun-loving woman in the decade since she left Connecticut.

"A glass half-full girl," she said.

After her playing career she took an assistant job with the women's team at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.

"It was a great experience and I loved the people I worked with but I realized quickly coaching was not for me. The player's side and coaches side are literally two different worlds. I would enjoy coaching my future kid's summer teams, etc., but just not a full-time gig."

But what coaching did was inspire her play again so she spent a year in Copenhagen, traveling, the seeing the world "and feeling alive."

"I played some of my best basketball ever there, having only basketball to focus on," Glenney said. "Also, being grateful to do what you love for a living really makes you put your all in to it. I should have kept playing overseas, but I didn't. Quite frankly, at 25, I felt internal pressure to be something besides a basketball player and start a "regular" life in the real world with a career and family. Clearly, I've never been afraid to go against the grain.

"But really, how silly of me to feel the need to rush into any of those things. There is plenty of time for that stuff. But that's the point of seeing things in retrospect, isn't it? I'm still absolutely appreciative that I had the experience at all. I feel that way about all my experiences, Uconn, Clemson, life in general."

Glenney's first job was in sales with Pitney Bowes in Atlanta -- the perfect combination of living in the south and in a big city.

"I thought the competitive spirit of sports would translate into sales. Maybe it could have if I wasn't selling postage meters. So I did that for a few years to pay the bills while I contemplated my next move. Eventually, that led me to healthcare and I started working at the Emory Orthopaedic & Spine Center [in Atlanta] where I still am the assistant to the administrator here."

Glenney is now about to start a two-year nursing program at Georgia Perimeter College, which will force her to quit a job she loves.

"But I am over the moon excited, about this," she said. "Once I'm done with school, I will take on my new adventure as a traveling nurse. I want to see as many places and meet as many people as possible while doing a profession I believe in. If I can go to Hawaii for six months, then California and Florida, well, sign me up. I am an adrenaline junkie and love the concept of helping others and having a job that is meaningful. I am sure I have found my match. Wish me luck"

Glenney is single and currently lives with her younger sister Lauren, who she says is her best friend. They just completed a 16-day European trip together.

"I picked up photography, as a love of mine. I ran a marathon for my 30th birthday last year," she said. "I have absolutely, no complaints about life. I am devoted to making the most of it and relishing in all its moments. Believe it or not, I'm softer around the edges in my older years, but I'm still the same old Marci; big mouth and silly. Why not?"